The book Kodeksy Etyki Bibliotekarskiej na Świecie, being published 2008 at Warszawa, contains a big variety of code of ethics for librarians and information scientists all over the world. The lively responses from the different library associations, groups, departments for education, libraries and units responsible for human resources to the questionnaire sent out by the authors were surprising. The authors received a lot of answers, examples of laws, regulations and code of behaviors which showed very distinctively that questions of information ethics are occupying professionals all over the world.

We, at Simon Verlag fur Bibliothekswisssen, have decided to publish a new edition, enlarged about some countries and shortened some of the laws and regulations and translated into English. Reasons for professional behavior as well grievances procedures differ very much from country to country. However they are based on a mutual conviction that the new means and possibilities of information access do not only open vast possibilities but also misuse/ new barriers for the access and possibilities/ for corruption as well for professionals as well for their superiors.

The political environment of the different countries is not only influencing library policy and subsequently the access to information but also professio- nal behavior as well on the daily base of work but also in library associations and on an institutional level. Therefore international relations are deeply influenced by these political considerations – which is not only important for future essential cooperation but also for the fight of librarians against cor- ruption and barriers of access to information and the destruction of libraries.

Some of the codes published in this book were sent by different library associations to the authors, who had managed to gather the necessary information by means of sending a questionnaire to these library associations. A great deal of data could be collected on the Internet and the authors refer to any Internet sources they made use of. Professionals as well as any representatives of library politics can turn to the library associations for further information or use the Internet sources published hereby.